Whats the process for purchasing an AR 15 type of gun?

[Downr@nge 22]

Not looking to get one yet but just wanted to know what to expect when the time comes that I am ready to purchase one. Also, how much are they typically? I always see that Brownell's add here and wanted something like that.

[EchoMirage 137]

you go to the store, pay the price, and walk out with it.

 

price ranges from 800-1500 depending on make/model/options

[OBRAMS 8]

you go to the store, pay the price, and walk out with it.price ranges from 800-1500 depending on make/model/options

 

 

Yup!!!

[Krdshrk 3,877]

My process: Watching the marketplace until someone sells one. When one is posted, drool over it and wish I had more money. Repeat.

[vladtepes 1,060]

"ar15" type gun?

 

how far are you looking to shoot with this? are you looking for something "tactical" with rails.. shorter 16in carbine? or something with a heavy 24in barrel? are you going to put optics on this thing or just shoot iron sights? what caliber? by saying "ar15" you imply that you will shoot 223 with it? but there are other calibers available, and on top of that there are ar10 variants....

 

deciding what use this rifle will have.. and at what range you plan to shoot it will probably have a lot to do with how much it will end up costing you..

 

as far as the legalities...

it is a semiautomatic rifle with a pistol grip and detachable magazine..

 

so you can NOT have the following

 

a flash hider or threaded barrel capable of accepting a flash hider (pinned brake is ok)

a folding or telescoping stock

a grenade launcher

a bayonet lug

[Downr@nge 22]

Okay, thanks guys. I didn't know that it was that simple as going in a store and buying one.

 

Vlad, I'm not sure what caliber I'd want. Provably something where the ammo wasn't so expensive. I'd shoot it at any range in south Jersey or the one right outside of Philly. Not sure yet about the barrell length, but I'd most likely want something tactical.

[vladtepes 1,060]

Okay, thanks guys. I didn't know that it was that simple as going in a store and buying one.

 

Vlad, I'm not sure what caliber I'd want. Provably something where the ammo wasn't so expensive. I'd shoot it at any range in south Jersey or the one right outside of Philly. Not sure yet about the barrell length, but I'd most likely want something tactical.

when range I meant distance.. how far are you looking to shoot...

the reason I ask what use it will have is because depending how accurate you would like the gun to be there are other cheaper options...

 

AR15 will typically be $800+ to start...ammo is relatively cheap($6.00+ a box? not bought in bulk).. and the gun will be relatively accurate at 100 yards.. which is a reasonable battle distance..

 

AK variant will be a million times more durable... cost half as much.. shoot cheaper ammo ($4.XX a box?)... will make bigger holes.. but will be slightly less accurate (but will still be WELL within normal "battle accurate")..

 

I have had an AR15.. and I liked it and all.. it was a small light weight gun... but I just found that personally I was able to produce similar results with my AK.. so for me personally.. the AR was kind of meh and I ended up selling it.. I did go on to buy an AR10 variant.. (AR15 type gun chambered in 308) and that gun is VERY accurate and capable of longer ranges than an AK will ever make...

 

I am not sure how many rifles you have shot already.. but I would shoot a ton of guns before committing to anything.. and maybe look at other options.. make sure you are getting the right gun for you..

 

size, ergonomics, accessories, caliber, accuracy.. there are so many variables..

 

did you take the rifle class at Atlantic county yet? if so I will make a trip out and you can shoot some of my rifles..

[intercooler 41]

i have both a mak 90 and a ar....both shoot nice, shoot both...buy the one you like. 7.62x39 is cheaper and the ak style(please avoid calling it an "AK") is much less tempermental.

[vladtepes 1,060]

i have both a mak 90 and a ar....both shoot nice, shoot both...buy the one you like. 7.62x39 is cheaper and the ak style(please avoid calling it an "AK") is much less tempermental.

 

so me calling it AK variant is wrong.. but you calling it AK style is somehow correct.. sorry I guess I missed the memo..

[YankeeFan 49]

"ar15" type gun?

 

how far are you looking to shoot with this? are you looking for something "tactical" with rails.. shorter 16in carbine? or something with a heavy 24in barrel? are you going to put optics on this thing or just shoot iron sights? what caliber? by saying "ar15" you imply that you will shoot 223 with it? but there are other calibers available, and on top of that there are ar10 variants....

 

deciding what use this rifle will have.. and at what range you plan to shoot it will probably have a lot to do with how much it will end up costing you..

 

as far as the legalities...

it is a semiautomatic rifle with a pistol grip and detachable magazine..

 

so you can NOT have the following

a flash hider or threaded barrel capable of accepting a flash hider (pinned brake is ok)

a folding or telescoping stock

a grenade launcher

a bayonet lug

 

 

Well, crap....then what's the point?

[e80hydro 120]

Take a look at Rugers mini-14 while your at it. I have a Bushmaster and a mini. The AR is more acurate and a better weapon, but shooting the Ruger is a real pisser for me for some reason. Costs a lot less too.

[vladtepes 1,060]

Well, crap....then what's the point?

 

LOL just quoting the law.. you know..

 

Take a look at Rugers mini-14 while your at it. I have a Bushmaster and a mini. The AR is more acurate and a better weapon, but shooting the Ruger is a real pisser for me for some reason. Costs a lot less too.

 

I agree.. that is why I was really trying to get out of him what the "use" was.

[Downr@nge 22]

when range I meant distance.. how far are you looking to shoot...

the reason I ask what use it will have is because depending how accurate you would like the gun to be there are other cheaper options...

 

AR15 will typically be $800+ to start...ammo is relatively cheap($6.00+ a box? not bought in bulk).. and the gun will be relatively accurate at 100 yards.. which is a reasonable battle distance..

 

AK variant will be a million times more durable... cost half as much.. shoot cheaper ammo ($4.XX a box?)... will make bigger holes.. but will be slightly less accurate (but will still be WELL within normal "battle accurate")..

 

I have had an AR15.. and I liked it and all.. it was a small light weight gun... but I just found that personally I was able to produce similar results with my AK.. so for me personally.. the AR was kind of meh and I ended up selling it.. I did go on to buy an AR10 variant.. (AR15 type gun chambered in 308) and that gun is VERY accurate and capable of longer ranges than an AK will ever make...

 

I am not sure how many rifles you have shot already.. but I would shoot a ton of guns before committing to anything.. and maybe look at other options.. make sure you are getting the right gun for you..

 

size, ergonomics, accessories, caliber, accuracy.. there are so many variables..

 

did you take the rifle class at Atlantic county yet? if so I will make a trip out and you can shoot some of my rifles..

 

 

Definitely want to take you up on that offer one day after I take the course (i'm gonna take one as soon as I can). That will probably help me make a choice as to what I wanted. I've never shot a rifle before. I'd like to shoot the 100 meters or normal battle range. No long range stuff yet lol. I'd use it for range purposes really.

 

And now that you've mentioned it, I do remember watching a youtube vid where they were comparing an AR to an AK and the AK won hands down on durability, which is something that I want in a firearm.

[vladtepes 1,060]

Definitely want to take you up on that offer one day after I take the course (i'm gonna take one as soon as I can). That will probably help me make a choice as to what I wanted. I've never shot a rifle before. I'd like to shoot the 100 meters or normal battle range. No long range stuff yet lol.

 

 

you pick the Sunday and if I am free I will bring the rifles and sit through the class with you.. you can use my guns.. I don't care.. just pick up a couple of boxes of ammo before the class (I would front the ammo but money is tight with being unemployed and all.. ha)..

 

March 20th is the next rifle class.. will probably be done snowboarding by then.. keep in touch.. let me know.. better to shoot and get a feel for things before blowing money on something that you may not end up liking!

 

I don't mind.. I actually enjoy sitting through the class..

[vladtepes 1,060]

And now that you've mentioned it, I do remember watching a youtube vid where they were comparing an AR to an AK and the AK won hands down on durability, which is something that I want in a firearm.

 

most modern ARs are pretty reliable.. but an AK is unbelievably reliable.. it is a very difficult gun to break or fowl up.. which is why I decided to stick to that for my main go to rifle.. and they are cheaper to buy.. cheaper to operate.. and cheaper to accessorize.. when compared to an AR.. AR will win out on accuracy.. but for me an AK OR AR will be a "battle rifle" meaning if it can easily it a man sized target at 100-150 yards it is worthy enough for use.. BOTH fit that description.. so that is why I chose the more durable cheaper AK "style" LOL gun..

[bulpup 98]

Personally I would never want to have to clean another gas blowback bolt. What a pain in the a**.

[Downr@nge 22]

you pick the Sunday and if I am free I will bring the rifles and sit through the class with you.. you can use my guns.. I don't care.. just pick up a couple of boxes of ammo before the class (I would front the ammo but money is tight with being unemployed and all.. ha)..

 

March 20th is the next rifle class.. will probably be done snowboarding by then.. keep in touch.. let me know.. better to shoot and get a feel for things before blowing money on something that you may not end up liking!

 

I don't mind.. I actually enjoy sitting through the class..

 

Thanks man! Will definitely be in touch!

[ChrisJM981 924]

Personally I would never want to have to clean another gas blowback bolt. What a pain in the a**.

I'm starting to feel the same way. I hope H&K makes a civilian version of the 416 so I can get a great piston AR.

[Turbotezza 1]

If you want something modular, I'd suggest the AR. You can add/delete/upgrade as you learn more about firearms, parts and their uses.

[vladtepes 1,060]

If you want something modular, I'd suggest the AR. You can add/delete/upgrade as you learn more about firearms, parts and their uses.

 

 

modular?

 

just about all AK parts are interchangeable... and upgradable... the system is incredibly simple and can be completely disassembled on a rag with simple tools... solid rails can be added to accept purpose specific items (flashlights, forward grips, etc...).. the one advantage an AR has is the ability to accept different uppers.. but if I am going to shoot past 150/200 yards and wanted semi auto.. it would just be an AR10 or something totally different..

[bbk 188]

I'm starting to feel the same way. I hope H&K makes a civilian version of the 416 so I can get a great piston AR.

 

HK MR556 (also seen it as MR223) is available to the public as the civilian version of the 416. There is also the larger version in the MR762 (obviously chambered in 7.62NATO). Both seem a bit heavy for my tastes... but, hey, are avail!

[BRN169 6]

Take a look at Rugers mini-14 while your at it. I have a Bushmaster and a mini. The AR is more acurate and a better weapon, but shooting the Ruger is a real pisser for me for some reason. Costs a lot less too.

I have a stainless Mini-14, great gun, fun to shoot. Not too happy with the Choate flash hider I had installed on it by Ray's though... They installed the damned thing slightly canted and broke a drill bit off in the second hole they were drilling for the roll pins... I need to buy a new site and find a gunsmith I can trust to cut the old one off and install it correctly. Only issue I have with the Mini-14 is taking it down to clean, I'll stick with an AR or AK; much, much easier to clean...

[Turbotezza 1]

Never said AK types werent upgradable, but so are most firearms in general. However, how many firearms aside from pistols, allow you to change the uppers? When I can't shoot my .223 AR outdoors in the winter, I just swap in my .22LR and I'm in business indoors. To me it seems that the orginal poster might be a novice, so a AR type rifle with .22lr upper just might be the thing to start off with and when he is ready move on to an upper with more oomph.

 

modular?

 

just about all AK parts are interchangeable... and upgradable... the system is incredibly simple and can be completely disassembled on a rag with simple tools... solid rails can be added to accept purpose specific items (flashlights, forward grips, etc...).. the one advantage an AR has is the ability to accept different uppers.. but if I am going to shoot past 150/200 yards and wanted semi auto.. it would just be an AR10 or something totally different..

[Jon 264]

Never said AK types werent upgradable, but so are most firearms in general. However, how many firearms aside from pistols, allow you to change the uppers? When I can't shoot my .223 AR outdoors in the winter, I just swap in my .22LR and I'm in business indoors. To me it seems that the orginal poster might be a novice, so a AR type rifle with .22lr upper just might be the thing to start off with and when he is ready move on to an upper with more oomph.

 

Just FYI, from what I've seen lately a S&W 15-22 runs around the same cost as a dedicated 22lr upper. If I were looking for a 223 AR and 22lr AR I would just buy the two rifles.

[DirtyDigz 1,811]

I know the OP was asking about buying a complete rifle, but in case someone is thinking about building their own, here's the process I went through:

 

1. Research the hell out of NJGF, ar15.com & m4carbine.net to determine what I wanted

 

2. Order complete upper from major manufacturer (it was CMMG in my case) with micro-gas block instead of "normal" FSB. I knew in advance that I was going to mount a rail system on the upper and use fold-up sights, so I didn't need a FSB at all. This way I didn't have to have the bayonet lug removed.

 

3. Order muzzle brake, lower receiver parts kit, rail, buffer tube/buffer and fixed stock separately. I had also previously purchased 15-round magazines.

 

4. When the upper and muzzle brake arrived, I removed the flash hider, installed the muzzle brake and then shipped the upper to a gunsmith to have the muzzle brake pinned/welded.

 

5. Sold the flash hider on gunbroker.com. Not really worth it $ wise, but it does leave a transaction record showing you disposed of the part.

 

6. Purchased lower receiver on gunbroker, had it shipped to FFL, went to FFL for transfer/NICS check and then took possession of lower. Once you have a lower receiver in your possession then all your AR parts need to be "NJ Legal" so you don't have the possibility of "constructive possession" of an assault weapon.

 

7. Built up the lower receiver/buffer tube/stock.

 

8. When upper came back from gunsmith I added the rail and then assembled upper and lower for a complete NJ Legal AR-type, built exactly the way I wanted it.

[Turbotezza 1]

So would I if I had the money and looking to have both at the same time.

 

Just FYI, from what I've seen lately a S&W 15-22 runs around the same cost as a dedicated 22lr upper. If I were looking for a 223 AR and 22lr AR I would just buy the two rifles.

[vladtepes 1,060]

Never said AK types werent upgradable, but so are most firearms in general. However, how many firearms aside from pistols, allow you to change the uppers? When I can't shoot my .223 AR outdoors in the winter, I just swap in my .22LR and I'm in business indoors. To me it seems that the orginal poster might be a novice, so a AR type rifle with .22lr upper just might be the thing to start off with and when he is ready move on to an upper with more oomph.

 

 

fair enough.. like I said swapping uppers is the only upside IMO...

 

with that said I do not personally do any 22 shooting.. nothing wrong with it.. just not my thing.. If we were talking complete firearms novice.. or smaller framed person who was gun shy.. then yes.. a 22 upper OR 22 AR would be a great choice.. but having met him.. and having read this thread.. it seems that he is more looking for a gun that would function as a mid range rifle.. a rifle that is economical and fun to shoot... an AK "STYLE" gun fits that role.. precision paper punching.. 150+yards.. higher end optics... would more than likely be lost on an AK "STYLE" gun.. but as a main go to gun.. one that will never fail.. the AK "STYLE" gun would be my choice..

[Turbotezza 1]

If he is not a firearm novice, then you're right.....Can't beat the AK style guns for the sheer cost-fun per round factor!

 

fair enough.. like I said swapping uppers is the only upside IMO...

 

with that said I do not personally do any 22 shooting.. nothing wrong with it.. just not my thing.. If we were talking complete firearms novice.. or smaller framed person who was gun shy.. then yes.. a 22 upper OR 22 AR would be a great choice.. but having met him.. and having read this thread.. it seems that he is more looking for a gun that would function as a mid range rifle.. a rifle that is economical and fun to shoot... an AK "STYLE" gun fits that role.. precision paper punching.. 150+yards.. higher end optics... would more than likely be lost on an AK "STYLE" gun.. but as a main go to gun.. one that will never fail.. the AK "STYLE" gun would be my choice..

[vladtepes 1,060]

If he is not a firearm novice, then you're right.....Can't beat the AK style guns for the sheer cost-fun per round factor!

 

 

he is probably a novice to long guns.. I THINK he only has pistols now.. but having met him I think that he would be find with any small caliber rifle.. 223, 7.62x39, etc.. after all we are talking about semi auto blast away have fun guns.. we are not talking precision bolt guns that he is going to be reloading custom loads for.. that is another reason I think that an AK clone would be ideal.. he can get into it for however much he wants to spend and blast away some cheap fun ammo.. if he takes me up on me offer he can shoot a few different calibers and see what he really likes.. lol

[Downr@nge 22]

fair enough.. like I said swapping uppers is the only upside IMO...

 

with that said I do not personally do any 22 shooting.. nothing wrong with it.. just not my thing.. If we were talking complete firearms novice.. or smaller framed person who was gun shy.. then yes.. a 22 upper OR 22 AR would be a great choice.. but having met him.. and having read this thread.. it seems that he is more looking for a gun that would function as a mid range rifle.. a rifle that is economical and fun to shoot... an AK "STYLE" gun fits that role.. precision paper punching.. 150+yards.. higher end optics... would more than likely be lost on an AK "STYLE" gun.. but as a main go to gun.. one that will never fail.. the AK "STYLE" gun would be my choice..

 

I swear you guys read my mind This is EXACTLY what I'm looking for. I've never shot a rifle before, only a shotgun and pistols. I'm gonna check for the next rifle class and sign up for that and take you up on your offer Vlad

 

Dirtydigz, when I get accustomed to long guns, I will eventually get into building my own AR type or AK type if feasible.

 

BRN169, I've heard about the Mini 14. How do they hold up? Are they fairly reliable?

 

Also fellas, what about the Sig 556? Are they considered AR or AK type guns? How does that one stack up against the AK?